Crashes lead to long commute times

The Thursday morning commute has led to some murderous travel times as crashes litter the freeway system.

At 8:40 a.m., the latest crash is on northbound I-35 at County Road 50 in Lakeville.

Traffic was not moving on eastbound I-494 at Hwy. 169 due to a multi-vehicle crash.

Other hotspots include eastbound I-394 due to a crash at I-494.

Other slow spots include northbound Cedar Avenue due to a crash at Nicols Road in Eagan, and northbound I-35W at Portland Avenue. It's nearly a standstill on westbound I-694 at Silver Lake Road where a crash is blocking lanes.

Drivers can plan on more weekend closures in the spring as the $239 million I-35W downtown-to-Crosstown project continues until 2021. In a shred of good news, MnDOT will reopen ramp access from northbound I-35W to 5th Avenue on Monday.

Winter's arrival has not put the chill on road construction as drivers will encounter another weekend freeway closure in Minneapolis, and bridge work in Forest Lake is expected to bring traffic delays.